NEW YORK — A federal judge has called off the corruption trial for New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The judge has also appointed legal counsel to advise the court regarding the Justice Department’s controversial request to drop the charges against the Democratic mayor.
Judge Dale E. Ho’s order indicates that he will not decide whether to dismiss the case against the mayor of New York City before mid-March.
On Friday, Judge Ho appointed Paul Clement, a former U.S. solicitor general under President George W. Bush, to argue the government’s request to drop the case.
The judge stated that courts often benefit from adversarial testing in decision-making, which is particularly helpful in cases with unusual facts or significant public interest.
He noted that Wednesday’s hearing lacked “adversarial testing of the Government’s position,” making it crucial to appoint Clement to help him reach a decision.
At the hearing, defended his request to drop the charges, citing the proximity to Adams’ reelection campaign and potential distraction from the mayor’s assistance to the Trump administration’s law-and-order agenda.
Adams acknowledged at the hearing that the charges could be reinstated later. This detail has led legal experts to speculate that the mayor can avoid trial only if he aids Trump’s plans to target undocumented New Yorkers.
Adams was indicted in September for allegedly accepting over $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions and travel benefits from a Turkish official and others seeking influence during his time as Brooklyn borough president. He faces multiple challengers in the upcoming Democratic primary in June. He has pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence.
Judge Ho stated that he wants all parties and Clement to address the legal standard for dismissing charges, including whether a court can consider materials beyond the motion itself and under what conditions further inquiry is necessary.
He also wants to know when a dismissal without the possibility of reinstatement is appropriate and set a deadline for briefs for March 7, with oral arguments, if needed, on March 14.
In his order, Judge Ho said Clement could review a 1977 case where a judge denied the government’s request to dismiss a case.
University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias described Clement as a conservative lawyer, a reasonable choice as a neutral adviser for a judge recently appointed with primarily civil experience.
Late Thursday, three former U.S. attorneys from New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey urged Judge Ho to consider input from parties beyond the government and defendant when deciding on the next steps.
In a letter to Judge Ho on Friday, Adams’ lawyer, Alex Spiro, referenced Attorney General Pam Bondi’s remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, where she called the indictment against Adams “incredibly weak” and in need of dismissal to stop the “weaponization of the government.” He urged Judge Ho to dismiss the charges based on the evidence and the law.
The Justice Department has not commented on the matter.
Adams will not be required to attend future hearings, according to the judge.
This could lessen some political damage for Adams by avoiding court appearances as he tries to convince the public that the case isn’t preventing him from governing the city.
Adams has tried to remain calm as questions about his independence have created a political crisis.
This week, four of his top deputies resigned. Governor Kathy Hochul announced that she had decided against removing Adams from office for now but would propose legislation to increase state oversight of City Hall to restore trust with New Yorkers.
Bove’s initial request last week to then-interim U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon to drop the charges against Adams was rejected, and she resigned, accusing Bove of offering a quid pro quo that would ensure help from Adams in the immigration fight in return for dismissal of his criminal case.
Another prosecutor, Hagan Scotten, told Bove in a that it would take a “fool” or a “coward” to meet Bove’s demand, “but it was never going to be me.”
In total, seven prosecutors, including five high-ranking Justice Department prosecutors in Washington, resigned before Bove made the dismissal request, along with two other Washington prosecutors.
—Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz, Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington and Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York, contributed to this story.